The present invention relates to transport containers and, more particularly, to a transport containers particularly suited for transporting a printing ink replenishing system employed in an impact printing application.
In postage meter mailing machine printing application, it is conventional to provide the mailing machine with an integral reservoir and an ink transfer system which is supplied ink from the reservoir. The ink transfer system includes an application for applying printing ink to the postage meter print indicia after each postage meter print cycle. From time to time, it is necessary for the machine operator to manually replenish the ink reservoir. It is also necessary, from time to time, for the operator to change the ink transfer pad of the replenishing system. This has been perceived as time consuming and untidy operator activity.
In an attempt to promote operator ease and sanitize the process of replenishing the ink supply and changing the ink transfer pad, a self-contain ink replenishing system has been developed. The ink replenishing system is comprised of a housing which receives a sealed ink reservoir bottle. A supply pump and a return pump are mounted to the housing, such that each pump is placed in fluid communication with the reservoir bottle upon insertion of the reservoir bottle into the housing. A supply hose and a drain hose provide fluid communication between the respective supply and drain pumps to an ink tray which houses an ink transfer pad. The housing also has a formed rim which serves to support and horizontally guide the ink tray. A suitable mailing machine has been developed which allows the housing and associated ink replenishing system components to be drop-loaded in the mailing machine.
In order to support customer delivery and storage of the ink replenishing system, a container particularly suited for the ink replenishing system has been developed.